Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

NEWS IN BRIEF

THE European Commission has imposed a 6.8-million euro fine on British Airways for a controversial system for paying commission to travel agents designed to encourage them to favour BA flights over those of other rivals. The Commission launched an inquiry last year in response to complaints from Virgin Atlantic Airways, which claimed the ‘fidelity rebates’ scheme unfairly restricted its own sales. The Commission said the system had “created an illegal barrier to airlines that wish to compete against BA on the UK markets for air transport”. It added that it was investigating similar schemes operated by a number of other airlines and that more fines could follow. BA said it would launch an immediate appeal against the penalty.

European Voice

7/14/99, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 4:52 AM CET

A DECISION on whether to outlaw Germany and Austria’s system of cross-border minimum book-pricing agreements was postponed by the full Commission this week. A spokesman said there had been a long discussion but no vote was taken and it was unclear when the case would be decided.

PORTUGAL has accused the Commission of putting undue pressure on Lisbon over its opposition to a proposed share-swap deal between Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH) and the Champalimaud Group. Van Miert wrote to the Portuguese government last month warning that he believed its opposition to the deal breached EU rules and gave Lisbon until this week to reply.

THE Commission has officially warned France that the system used to calculate the charges which telecoms providers have to pay France Telecom as compensation for its legal requirement to provide universal phone service at reasonable prices violates EU law. Paris has been given two months to reply and make the necessary changes.

THE Commission has extended the deadline for a decision on whether to clear US telecoms giant AT&T’s proposed purchase of cable and mobile phone operator MediaOne Group until next Friday (23 July). AT&T, the top US long-distance phone company and number two cable operator, plans to buy MediaOne for about 59 billion euro.

THE European Court of Justice this week confirmed fines totalling more than 40 million euro imposed on several large chemical companies by the Commission, upholding a lower Court judgement which found evidence of a price-fixing cartel for polypropylene among Hercules Chemicals, Huels, Imperial Chemical Industries, Hoechst, Shell, Montecatini, Chemie Linz and DSM NV.